Finding A Lost Boy
by Splash-of-Color
Summary: Hero is just an orphan with a snooty friend Leon. Nothing will ever change. Until Leon goes missing....It's up to Hero to find where he is and unlock the secret that lies behind the orphan boy and his past.


It has happened once before and it will happen again. It happened this time in a big town just outside of Manhattan, New York. If any of you have ever felt the need to run away, to break free from the chains that have kept you down for far too long, then you'll understand what our hero is feeling. What was one more stranger in a sea of lost souls? "What have you got there?" A girl demanded of our dear Hero, since that indeed is her name. Hero had run away from her home in Massachusetts and had been living there for over three months. Why now did they bother her? She had never been once bothered. Around her neck was a chain she had kept from her home in Massachusetts. Made of pure gold with a small, but still significant emerald, the necklace belonged to her great grandmother Wendy.

"What does it matter to you?" She questioned, almost inaudibly while tying her sneakers. She was going out to get more food. She stood, her tall body placing her at 5'11 and six inches taller than the other girls.

"Well, we are in charge." The first girl, Caroline, announced, her head raised high. "We are the ones who determine if you can live here or not. Now what is it?" She demanded from Hero once more. Hero turned, not sure if they understood that it wasn't any of their business, and made her way towards the door. There were a few people in the old theater that Hero had picked to live in. A good number of kids lived in the balcony, mostly males from 10 to 16, and the older ones found their own space backstage, in the isles, in between seats, ect. Hero had found her place in the supply closet by the door. It was small, almost too small for her, and it was cluttered with, well supplies, and it wreaked of old, dirty water.

"Don't walk away when she's talking to you!" The second in command, Ursula, snapped while grabbing Hero's arm. Unlike Caroline, Ursula had short black hair cut to her ears. It was a mess and it often got in her way when she tried to be forceful. It had grown a few inches however and so it didn't get in her eyes as much. Caroline had longer, brunette hair and pale but angry green eyes. Hero stared at Ursula, wondering if the girl would raise a hand to someone who was taller, older and probably more powerful than her.

"We want to know what this is." Caroline stated once more as she reached up to grab the necklace that sat peacefully on Hero's neck. However, Hero quickly grabbed her wrist.

"It's none of your concern." She stated while pushing her hand, as well as Ursula's hand, away from her. "I'm going out to make some money. You want to join in and actually get food for some of these kids, then come along."

"Why do you even care?" Caroline demanded while holding her wrist. "These kids don't care about you! They don't even know you!"

"Why do I need a reason to help those in need?" Hero asked while turning to look at her. "Why must I need to gain something? If you couldn't tell, I don't care what you say and I will do as I want. Either deal with it, or kick me out." Hero said while turning once more to walk out the door of the theater.

"Fine!" Caroline shouted after her. "You're leaving! Take all your things and go!" Sydney turned about face and walked back to her small closet of a room and grabbed a small pillow case she had brought with her.

"Fine." Hero said calmly before continuing out of the theater.

"Well….we can get our own food!" Caroline shouted again. Hero didn't mind what she said. Like all the times before, she had just done what came natural. Did what she could to get enough money for food then gave it to those who wanted it after taking what she wanted. It was nothing more than charity. Clutching the pillow case to her chest, Hero quickly made her way from the theater to the park that was full of people. No one would mind one more.

"Well hello there my dear Hero." A smooth voice said from behind her. Turning to find Leon, Hero frowned. Leon had escaped to Connecticut from the juvenile hall in Rhode Island. Leon was tall, almost six foot four, with dark brown hair reaching the nape of his neck and fell in front of his brown eyes. Much had been rumored about the wonderful Leon and of course, no one would ever be able to tell if it were real or not.

"What is it you'd like from me today, mein Schweinhund?" Literally, she called him a pig dog. She had brushed up on her German after meeting the wonderful Leon just weeks before.

"Only give me your love." He said sweetly. "Dumpfbacke." Which translated into idiot.

"Such a good idea!" Hero said sarcastically as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Leon, is there any way you could go away?" She asked as she turned to walk away from him. He, however, was in front of her, standing in front of her with his face close to hers.

"Come on, Hero. We make such a wonderful music together." Hero rolled her eyes and walked around the boy and continued through the park. "You can't deny, Hero." She turned to look at him.

"You know I hate you right?" He moved the guitar from his shoulders and started to play a slow melody before it gave way to his voice.

"_Para bailar la bamba, para bailar la bamba! Se necesita una poca de gracia. Una poca de gracia pa mi pa ti, y arriba y arriba._" Hero watched as Leon danced and played his guitar will trained skill. He had a wonderful singing voice. Hero rolled her eyes while people gathered around and clapped their hands for Leon. "_Y arriba y arriba, por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere.... Yo no soy marinero_!" He added a little flair to his singing of marinero of course because he was Leon and he had to put on a good show. "_Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan, soy capitan, soy capitan!_" He went on a little solo which made Hero frown more. "_C'mon, c'mon, dance with me baby oh...Yeah dance with me baby. Let's dance tonight. Well come on over honey. No, don't ever say maybe take me home tonight! Say arriba, arriba! Oh yeah…" _The people around her started to cheer for him and tried to get her to join in. She didn't however. Leon finished the song on his own and did a little more dancing for the others, ending up right in front of her, his face once more too close to hers.

"I really hate you." She said as she pushed him away.

"Awe, you don't even want to sing your favorite song with me?"

"We need a piano." She muttered softly, not looking into his big brown eyes.

"Thank goodness for Piano guy." He said as he looked over at a man sitting at a large piano.

"No. Go away Leon."

"We-ee-ll!" He started while placing his guitar on his back. "You know you make me wanna--"

"Shout!" All the crowd called.

"Throw my hands up and-"

"Shout!" They called again.

"Stop it!" Hero shouted as she walked up to Leon. "Enough! I don't want to sing!'

"But you're so good. I bet you could show them all that you're great." He started to play a gentle melody on his guitar and he started to sing softly. "I can't see the stars anymore living here. Let's go to the hills where the outlines are clear…Bring on the wonder, bring on the song, I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long."

"I fell through the cracks at the end of our street. Let's go to the beach, get the sand through our feet,"

"Bring on the wonder, bring on the song, I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long. Bring on the wonder, we got it all wrong, we pushed you down deep in our souls for too long." They sang together. Their voices were so different yet they made the perfect blend. Leon's was deep and Hero's was high but together they made a symphony of music that was matched well with the guitar that he played.

"I don't have the time for a drink from the cup,"

"Let's rest for a while 'til our souls catch us up,"

"Bring on the wonder, bring on the song, I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long…. Bring on the wonder, we got it all wrong, we pushed you down deep in our souls so hang on. Bring on the wonder, bring on the song…."

"I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long."

The crowd roared to life as soon as they finished. "I told you." He said softly. "Let's sing some more, Hero. We'll be great. It'll get you some money too. I know how much you're dying for food." Hero bit her lip and shook her head.

"Fine." She muttered.

Before long, Hero had twenty dollars in dollars and change and a sore throat from singing. The sun went down and once more, Hero was on her way back to the theater. Caroline was always doing that to her; making her leave and then letting her back in. "Why do you even go back to her, Hero?" Leon asked while he placed his guitar in it's holder.

"It's a place to stay." She muttered.

"I can offer you a place." He said from behind her with a grin in his voice.

"Please Leon. You're almost as homeless as I am." Hero said as she turned around to look at him. Only......

He was gone.

"Leon? Where did you go?" She asked while turning around in her place. "Leon…." She looked at the people passing by, but no one seemed to notice. "Leon, come on, stop playing around." She said while walk back to where they had come. "Leon!"

"Are you looking for someone?" Hero heard from behind her. Spinning around quickly, she hoped the people who asked could help her.

"Yes, a boy, named Le-" She stopped when she saw the ones who asked her were a group of boys.

"A boy named, what?" One of them asked. Around his neck was a sword…The other boys looked at him and then at her.

"Leon. His name was Leon. Have you seen him?"

"You're slightly nervous aren't you?" He asked

"You would be too if you were a girl and six boys surrounded you at this time of night." She said coolly while watching them warily.

"You see," The one who spoke said. His hair was long and brown and peaked over his forehead and in front of his green eyes. She watched as he looked at the others. "We have reason to believe that your 'Leon' is our Peter."

"It's actually a very funny story." Another said. His hair was brown too and his eyes were a calm, jovial hazel. "You see we--"

"We need to get Peter back, numbskull." Another boy said. His hair was black and curled at the bottom.

"Yeah we need Peter."

"-Need Peter." Two boys said together. They had short blond hair and blue eyes.

"Look look, we need to stop this." The first person said. "My name is Soild. Slightly Soiled." He said holding out his hand.

"Hanger Nibs, at your service ma'am!" The second said gleefully.

"Belt Curly." The third announced with a humph.

"Name's High and Dry Twins,"

"-Dry Twins." The two said together once more.

"I'm Tootles!" The littlest of them said, waving his hand in the air. They wore normal clothes, jeans and t-shirts, but they seemed confused.

"Don't you have real names?" Hero asked.

"What do you mean? Those are our real names!" Hanger said.

"Well…They're odd names." She said shrugging.

"What's yours?" Belt Curly asked.

"Hero." She muttered as she bit her lip. "Just Hero."

"That's an odd name for a girl." High and Dry said.

"Look, I'll never remember those names. Can I call you something else?"

"Well, use our last names. That's what Peter did." Slightly said.

"So....say your names once more..." Hero said as she turned her head.

"Slightly," the first said, then Nibs, Curly, Twins and Tootles.

"You six honestly don't have real names?" Hero asked.

"No, those are our real names!" Slightly called.

"No. They're not. I'll give you real names. You, Slightly are now--"

"We've no time for this, I'm afraid." Nibs said. "We must find Peter. Where did you see him ast?"


End file.
